Robin van Persie named first-ever winner of the Rinus Michels Manager of the Month award

Robin van Persie has become the inaugural winner of the Rinus Michels Manager of the Month award. In a unique twist, Van Persie was also the very first Player of the Month winner back in August 2018 during his playing days with Feyenoord. Exactly seven years later, his trophy cabinet has been expanded with his first individual accolade as a manager.

The 42-year-old Rotterdammer guided Feyenoord to a perfect start, opening with a 2-0 win over NAC Breda before overcoming local rivals Excelsior (1-2) and Sparta Rotterdam (0-4) in the city derbies. With nine points from three matches and a goal difference of +7, Feyenoord sit top of the Eredivisie. They are also the only side still unbeaten, despite having played one match fewer.

The Rinus Michels Manager of the Month is a new initiative from the Eredivisie CV, Coaches Betaald Voetbal, De Voetbaltrainer and ESPN. The award has been created to give managers in the Dutch top flight a new stage and recognition for their work.

The monthly award follows the success of the annual Rinus Michels Awards (presented since 2003/04) and the Eredivisie Player of the Month awards (introduced in 2018/19).

The accolade is named after Rinus Michels. The legendary coach was named FIFA’s “Coach of the Century” in 1999 and has been described by France Football magazine as the “greatest manager of all time.”

As with the annual Rinus Michels Awards, all 18 Eredivisie managers are assessed using a Hypercube data model. The model factors in match results, goals scored and conceded, as well as the relative strength of the team and its opponents.

That strength is measured using the Euro Club Index (ECI), which ranks European clubs weekly based on domestic and international performances. The ECI shows how strong a club is at any given moment and whether they are under- or over-performing.

For example, when a lower-ranked side defeats a top club, the result carries more weight. Conversely, a win for the league leaders over the bottom side counts for less. Telstar boss Anthony Correia rose sharply in the rankings following his side’s surprise win over PSV, while Van Persie gained ground thanks to Feyenoord’s emphatic victory against Sparta Rotterdam.